


all's fair in love and quidditch

by godjihoes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, random fun cameos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-03-05 16:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18832246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godjihoes/pseuds/godjihoes
Summary: As the captains of the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams respectively, Jeongyeon and Nayeon have an intense rivalry. As Jeongyeon's extremely protective best friend, Jihyo isn't a big fan of Im Nayeon either, especially when the girl makes annoying Jihyo her personal hobby.





	1. jihyo is ready to FIGHT

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies in advance if I make any factual errors about Hogwarts, I did my best and this is just for fun anyway.
> 
> For reference:  
> Jihyo - Gryffindor - Head Girl  
> Jeong - Gryffindor - Quidditch Captain/Chaser  
> Nayeon - Slytherin - Prefect - Quidditch Captain/Beater
> 
> For the sake of this story, all three of them are seventh years and 18. Comments are always appreciated, and my Twitter is @godjihoes if anyone's interested :)

Jihyo had no clue how Jeongyeon had managed to convince her-- yet _again_ \-- to attend a Quidditch match. Jihyo didn’t even _like_ Quidditch all that much, and she had actual Head Girl duties to attend to, yet here she was, huddled in the Gryffindor stands wedged between a group of rambunctious fourth years. _Yoo Jeongyeon, you’re going to owe me for this big time,_ Jihyo grumbled mentally, crossing her arms over her chest. 

The match was Gryffindor versus Slytherin, and even though Jihyo wasn’t particularly the type of person to subscribe to petty house rivalries, she knew how big of a deal this match would be for Jeongyeon. As the captain of the Gryffindor team, Jeongyeon put a great amount of pressure on herself to succeed. It was for her sake that Jihyo hoped the Gryffindor team was able to secure a win for their house today.

Despite Jihyo’s general apathy regarding the sport, the enthusiasm of the crowd was infectious. Without even realizing it, she soon found herself absorbed in the excitement of the game. The players flying around were at times little more than blurs of red and green as they zoomed around on their broomsticks, but Jihyo still managed to keep a close eye on Jeongyeon. 

In addition to being the captain, Jeongyeon was also one of the team’s star Chasers. Jihyo couldn’t help but grin with pride as her best friend expertly handled the Quaffle, scoring point after point for the Gryffindor team. Even with her limited knowledge of Quidditch, it was obvious to Jihyo that the Slytherins were outclassed here. She was beginning to believe this might be an easy win for the Gryffindors judging by how easily they were scoring points and deflecting the Slytherins’ own attempts. 

As the Gryffindors came into possession of the Quaffle once again, Jihyo’s eyes wandered around the field. Her gaze eventually settled on one of the Slytherin Beaters, a fellow seventh year who she recalled was named Im Nayeon. Jihyo was familiar with the girl, partially because Nayeon was a prefect, but mostly thanks to Jeongyeon. Since Nayeon was also the Slytherin captain, she was Jeongyeon’s “mortal enemy slash born rival”. If Jihyo didn’t know any better, she’d think Jeongyeon was obsessed with the Slytherin considering how often she ranted about her. 

_”That girl is an absolute nightmare!”_ Jeongyeon had exclaimed one evening in the common room, hands waving wildly, _”I swear she schedules Slytherin practices at the same time as Gryffindor practices on purpose, just to spite me! Her team isn’t even that good and yet she acts like the rest of us are just scum on the bottom of her shoe!”_ Jihyo wasn’t personally sure about the validity of those statements, thinking Jeongyeon may have been being a slight bit dramatic, but out of loyalty to her best friend, Jihyo developed a vague dislike of the Slytherin anyway.

Jihyo watched as the Beater wound up her arm, bat held out at the ready. In a matter of what seemed like milliseconds, Nayeon swung the bat at an incoming Bludger with all her might, a sharp _crack_ audible even from where Jihyo was sitting across the field. Impressed with the Slytherin’s show of strength, Jihyo’s rapt eyes followed the path of the Bludger. However, her heart leapt into her throat when she realized who Nayeon’s intended target was. It was Jeongyeon, one hand extended out to catch the Quaffle being tossed her way by a teammate. 

Jihyo’s mouth opened to scream out an instinctive warning to her best friend, but of course it was too late and no use, anyway. The speeding Bludger collided with Jeongyeon’s hand, knocking the Quaffle out of her possession and into the waiting arms of a Slytherin Chaser. The whole crowd gasped, Jihyo standing up to watch with cold horror as Jeongyeon nearly fell off her broom, clutching her hand to her chest. The Gryffindor managed to jerkily fly down to the ground where she collapsed, waiting for medical attention.

Jihyo pushed her way through the shocked Gryffindor crowd to the stairs, praying that her best friend would be alright. 

\-----

Jihyo anxiously paced back and forth outside the large doors of the Hospital Wing, her mind coming up with endless horrible scenarios. _Is her whole hand broken? Did she break her arm too? Will it be able to heal alright? What if it doesn’t? What if Jeongyeon can’t play Quidditch ever again? Merlin’s beard, that would absolute devaste her!_ Jihyo’s thoughts raced as she became increasingly worried for Jeongyeon.

The Head Girl whipped around as she heard the doors finally part, revealing Madam Pomfrey. “Please tell me she’s alright,” Jihyo immediately rushed out breathlessly, “Can I see her? I need to make sure she’s alright, I’m her best friend, I--”

“Miss Park,” Madam Pomfrey interrupted, holding up her hands to calm the girl down. Jihyo fell silent, and nodded uneasily for the nurse to continue. “Miss Yoo’s injuries are thankfully minor. She broke a few fingers, but it’s nothing a little Skele-Gro and bed rest cannot fix. I gave her some medicine to fall asleep in order to speed the mending process, so you’ll have to visit her later tonight.”

Jihyo released a breath, simultaneously frustrated that she could not see her best friend in that moment yet also relieved that Jeongyeon would be alright. She nodded again and thanked Madam Pomfrey, feeling some of the tension lift from her shoulders. However, her nervous energy was beginning to take the shape of something else-- burning anger. What was Im Nayeon _thinking_ , sending a Bludger straight for Jeongyeon like that?! Was that even legal? It was a miracle that Jeongyeon had only broken her fingers, Nayeon could have easily split her head open!

A sense of fiery resolve settling over her, Jihyo marched down the hallway back toward the Quidditch pitch. By the time she reached the field, it seemed like the game was coming to a close. Judging by the cheering coming from the Slytherin section, their team had apparently managed to pull themselves together enough to win the game for themselves. _The only reason they even won is because of Jeongyeon’s injury,_ Jihyo thought bitterly, before reminding herself not to discredit Jeongyeon’s many hardworking teammates. Still, her frustration was reaching a boiling point and she was determined to confront the source of it.

The Gryffindor positioned herself outside the Slytherin locker room, waiting for a certain Beater to emerge. After a few minutes the door swung open and the whole team flooded out at once, laughing and cheering loudly about their win. It seems their attention was focused primarily on Nayeon, everyone slapping her back and congratulating her.

“You really outdid yourself this time, Im!” one of her teammates crowed. “Did you see the look on Yoo’s face when that Bludger hit her? I thought she was gonna cry for sure!” 

Jihyo bristled with anger but held herself back-- Nayeon was her target, not some snotty boy who wasn’t worth her time or attention. “Im Nayeon,” she called out abruptly, stopping the girl in her tracks. The Beater looked back in confusion, the grin on her face momentarily freezing before it grew even wider when she recognized who it was.

“Park Jihyo,” the Slytherin greeted smoothly. She glanced over at a few of her teammates who had hung back with her and waved a hand in a lazy motion, “Don’t worry, you guys go celebrate and I’ll catch up later.” Nayeon’s gaze returned to Jihyo, an infuriatingly smug look on her face as she added, “The Head Girl probably just wants my autograph.” The other Slytherins burst out laughing again and patted Nayeon’s back a few more times before walking away.

At this point Jihyo’s anger was simmering, and she bit out, “I don’t want your _autograph_ , I want you to apologize for nearly _killing_ my best friend.”

Nayeon started to laugh incredulously. “Nearly _killing_? Seriously? Wow, I knew Yoo could be dramatic, but you’re seriously on another level.” She crossed her arms across her chest, her eyebrows arched. 

Jihyo grit her teeth, trying to contain her irritation. The last thing she wanted was to give Nayeon the satisfaction of seeing her all worked up. “You’re lucky that the Bludger just hit her hand! A few inches off, and it could have hit her _head_!” she exclaimed in frustration. 

“Well, it didn’t, did it?” Nayeon countered, huffing as she leaned against her broom. “Jeez, who do you think I am, some first year? I’m the best Beater Slytherin, hell, the whole school’s seen in years. I know how to do my job right.” 

Jihyo scoffed and rolled her eyes-- could this girl’s ego get any bigger? “Your ‘job’ is to cause dangerous injuries and send people to the Hospital Wing?” she retorted. 

“If it helps my team win, then yes,” Nayeon replied simply. Jihyo was disgusted-- did she really only care about winning, even if the methods were cruel and barbaric? Nayeon leaned forward, her voice dripping with patronization as she said, “If Yoo doesn’t want to get hurt, maybe she should learn to play better. Actually, maybe she should just quit so she doesn’t embarrass herself anymore than she already has.” Before Jihyo could even come up with a reply, the Slytherin’s lips twisted into a smirk. “Seeya around, princess.” Wiggling her fingers in a mocking wave, Nayeon walked away, leaving Jihyo standing there fuming.

Once Nayeon was gone, Jihyo tilted her head upward and released a frustrated yell. Jeongyeon had said that Nayeon was a nightmare, but she didn’t mention that she was actually smug, egotistical, and positively _infuriating_ , too. 

\-----

Later that night when Jihyo was finally able to visit Jeongyeon in the Hospital Wing, she was relieved to find that the girl was indeed okay, although understandably not in the best of spirits.

“I can’t believe I let Im freakin’ Nayeon get the best of me!” Jeongyeon moaned, leaning back in the bed with a hand covering her eyes. _She does have a flair for the dramatic, doesn’t she?_ Jihyo thought offhandedly. “I should’ve seen the Bludger coming and ducked. I let the whole team down, and now Im is never gonna let me forget this!”

Jihyo patted her best friend’s shoulder comfortingly, debating on whether or not to bring up her… “encounter” with the Slytherin. It’d probably just get Jeongyeon worked up further, which was the last thing the girl needed in a time like this, but at the same time--

“What is that face you’re making?” Jeongyeon’s voice interrupted Jihyo’s thoughts, and she snapped back to reality, focusing in on Jeongyeon who was looking at her suspiciously.

“What face?” Jihyo responded breezily, forcing an innocent smile.

Jeongyeon made a show of rolling her eyes. “I’m your best friend, idiot, don’t play dumb with me.” She paused, and then her expression contorted into one of horror. “Wait, wait, wait… I know you. Jihyo. Please tell me that you didn’t go to talk to Nayeon after the match.”

Jihyo winced. “Well, about that…”

Jeongyeon groaned, “Jihyo, don’t you know that Im Nayeon is pure evil in a teenage girl’s body?! I have told you this time and time again! Merlin’s beard… What did she say to you?” At Jihyo’s look of hesitation, Jeongyeon grabbed her friend’s hand with her own non-wrapped up one and gave her a serious look. “Just tell me, I need to know what she said about me.”

Jihyo cleared her throat. “Well, after she was done bragging about how she’s the best Beater in Hogwarts history et cetera et cetera, she basically said that you might as well quit the team so you don’t embarrass yourself anymore…” Jihyo trailed off briefly before jumping back in, “But don’t listen to her, Jeong, she’s just trying to get in your he--”

“Ugh, she best wait until the next game!” Jeongyeon growled out, fist clenched in front of her, “She may have beaten me this match but she won’t get the chance next time. We’ll crush her and her team into the dust and make sure the name ‘Im Nayeon’ goes down as the _worst_ Beater in Hogwarts history!” 

Jihyo smiled in relief at her friend’s conviction, glad that Nayeon’s snarky comments had had what she guessed was the opposite desired effect. She should have known that Jeongyeon was too stubborn to ever get discouraged about playing the game that she loved so much. “Definitely,” Jihyo chuckled, “Im Nayeon and the Slytherins won’t know what’s coming for them.” Jeongyeon tossed her a lopsided smile, and Jihyo knew her friend would be alright. 

Jeongyeon spent the next hour of so of Jihyo’s visit strategizing and coming up with game plans for the next match out loud. Jihyo did her best to pay attention to what her friend was saying, but her mind was still partially occupied with thoughts of her interaction with Nayeon.

Jihyo couldn’t help but be frustrated with herself that she wasn’t able to truly get a word in edgewise in their argument. She generally preferred taking diplomatic approaches to problems, however she wasn’t about to let some jerk walk all over her and her best friend, either. Jihyo hoped she didn’t have to confront the Slytherin again, but if she did, she was determined not to let Nayeon “win” a second time.


	2. oh how the turntables

Of course, now that Jihyo had had an interaction with the girl, she couldn’t stop seeing her everywhere. It seemed like no matter where she went, Nayeon was there, always giving her that same smug smirk and wiggling her fingers in greeting. Thankfully, their encounters always seemed to stop there, as Nayeon was usually surrounded by a group of friends and Jihyo was usually otherwise occupied.

Unfortunately, Jihyo couldn’t avoid the inevitable forever. (Not that she was actually, actively avoiding Im Nayeon, because there was a part of her that was still itching for the opportunity for a ‘rematch’ of sorts.) The weekly prefect meetings typically consisted of assigning duties for the upcoming week and going over reports of any incidents dealt with that may or may not have happened in the previous days. They could be a little dull, but they were a part of Jihyo’s duties as Head Girl, the responsibility of which she took very seriously.

As soon as she entered the room in which they met, she could feel Im Nayeon’s stare settling on her. Truth be told, Jihyo had hardly noticed the Slytherin prefect before-- she was typically quiet during their meetings, and Jihyo oversaw twenty four different prefects, so it was easy for the quiet ones to fade into the background. After the events concerning Jeongyeon, however, Jihyo couldn’t help but be hyper-aware of Nayeon’s every gaze and movement even if she avoided directly making eye contact with the girl.

Jihyo did her best to keep her composure and soldier through the meeting, but she still found herself irritatingly distracted. Luckily, Jinyoung, the Head Boy, was there and, seemingly sensing Jihyo’s unorganized thoughts, he took control of the majority of the meeting. Instead Jihyo focused on trying _not_ to focus on Nayeon’s seemingly unwavering attention. As a result, Jinyoung’s droning voice went in one ear and out the other.

“Jihyo? Did you get that?” The Gryffindor snapped back to reality when she heard her name being called. She blinked up blankly at Jinyoung who was looking at her with an expression of mild concern.

“Sorry, I was thinking about NEWTs,” Jihyo quickly replied, knowing it would be a believable excuse. A few of the other seventh year prefects murmured in commiseration, and Jinyoung patted her shoulder, nodding his head in understanding.

“No problem. I was just saying that the Slytherins are in charge of nightly patrols this week, but I have an engagement on Wednesday night so they’ll be one short. Would you mind taking my place that night?”

Before she could stop herself, almost as a compulsion, Jihyo turned her head slightly to look at Nayeon. The Slytherin prefect was leaned back in her chair and met her gaze immediately, looking so _pleased_ that Jihyo wanted to scream. She knew that she could find an excuse to give to Jinyoung as to why she actually _couldn’t_ fill in for him that night, however she was determined not to let Nayeon think that Jihyo’s dislike for her would get in the way of her Head Girl duties.

Turning back to look at Jinyoung, Jihyo forced a warm smile. “Of course not, I wouldn’t mind at all,” Jihyo replied smoothly. Jinyoung smiled back and nodded, and with the last order of business taken care of, the meeting was concluded.

As Jihyo made her way to the door, eager to get out of that suddenly stifling room, she felt Nayeon brush past her. Getting a hint of the Slytherin’s flowery perfume, Jihyo heard the girl’s low voice say right next to her ear, “You know, next time you can just admit you were thinking of me and not make excuses. I’ll see you on Wednesday... don’t be late.” Jihyo whipped around to face the girl, but Nayeon was already past her, glancing over her shoulder to smirk at Jihyo as she walked away. 

Jihyo had half a mind to yell after the girl, not wanting her to get the last word (yet again), but before she could do so she felt a tap on her shoulder. Releasing a frustrated sigh, Jihyo looked back at the Ravenclaw prefect standing before her. “Hey, Seungwan,” she greeted, forcing another smile.

The Ravenclaw looked at her sympathetically, obviously seeing right through Jihyo’s fake grin. “Long day?”

“Long _couple_ of days,” Jihyo mumbled, allowing her facade to drop in front of her friend.

Seungwan nodded, “Yeah, I know what you mean. You know, if you ever want company studying for the NEWTs, I practically live in the library these days. Although…” Her eyes glinted and her mouth quirked knowingly, “I’m not sure if that was _really_ what was occupying your mind today.”

Jihyo chuckled nervously. Of course Seungwan saw right through her excuse, many of the other prefects probably had as well. _Nayeon_ obviously had, anyway. Mentally cursing herself for not being able to maintain a sense of professionalism in the meeting because of some irritating girl, Jihyo began carefully, “I’m sorry I was so distracted today, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment and--”

Seungwan waved her hands to stop Jihyo. “No, no, don’t apologize,” the girl insisted, laughing. “I wasn’t criticizing you. Just take care of yourself, alright?” She squeezed Jihyo’s forearm and gave her a comforting look. “Try not to let… _certain people_ get to you. Often times, all they want is the satisfaction of knowing they got in your head.” 

Jihyo released a little laugh and gave Seungwan a playful look. “Right, we get it, you’re a Ravenclaw and you’re super wise,” she teased, “No need to make the rest of us look bad.” At this, Seungwan laughed too and shook her head. Jihyo’s gaze was warm as she said sincerely, “But thank you for the advice. It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

The Ravenclaw smiled and dipped her head. “Well, if you need to talk or need a study buddy, you know where to find me.” She gave her an encouraging thumbs up, and Jihyo reminded herself again, _Everything’ll be fine. Annoying, smug Slytherins be damned._

\---

The next couple of days passed by with little incident. Jihyo was so busy with her class work and forcing Jeongyeon to study for the NEWTs with her that she didn’t remember it was Wednesday-- and the responsibilities that came with it-- until Jeongyeon herself brought it up.

They were lounging in stuffed armchairs in the common room studying when Jeongyeon suddenly looked up from her parchment with a frown. “Wait, didn’t you say you had something to do tonight?”

Jihyo was so focused on her Charms homework that she barely heard Jeongyeon. “Hmm?” she replied vaguely, making a face as she accidentally got a blot of ink on the paper. 

“Yeah, I think you said you had night patrols or something with _her_.” 

Jeongyeon’s words finally registering in Jihyo’s brain, the Head Girl stiffened. The events of the last prefect meeting coming back to her, Jihyo slapped her forehead with a hand. “Merlin’s beard!” she groaned, “I totally forgot!”

“I don’t blame you, I’d want to forget too,” Jeongyeon snickered, watching with amusement as Jihyo rushed to shove her belongings into her school bag. “Well, good luck! If the demon gives you any trouble, tell her she’ll have to deal with me!” She jerked a thumb toward her chest and Jihyo rolled her eyes.

“Thanks, I’m sure that’ll work. Everyone knows that Im Nayeon is terrified of you,” Jihyo said dryly, slinging her bag over her shoulder. 

“Well, she should be!” Jeongyeon’s whining voice was the last thing Jihyo heard as she ducked out of the Fat Lady portrait and hurried in the direction of where she knew the prefects met every night for the patrols. 

Jihyo couldn’t believe her own forgetfulness. She knew she’d been a little distracted lately, but this was near unforgivable. It was her duty as Head Girl to be reliable and responsible, and neglecting her obligations certainly did not demonstrate those qualities. She had to be a good role model to the other prefects, as well as the student body as a whole. _I won’t make a mistake like this again,_ she told herself firmly. 

As she rounded the corner, she was both disappointed yet unsurprised that the only person waiting there was Nayeon herself. The Slytherin was leaning against the wall inspecting her nails, and when she heard Jihyo’s approaching footsteps, she looked up with that now-characteristic smirk of hers.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to show up,” Nayeon drawled. “It’s been, what-” she glanced at the watch on her wrist, “Almost an hour?” She _tsk_ ed, shaking her head. “I thought I told you not to be late, Park. Not exactly the behavior of an outstanding Head Girl.” Her dark eyebrows were raised high, head tilted to the side, as if silently daring Jihyo to argue. 

Jihyo took a deep breath, remembering Seungwan’s words from a few days earlier. _Don’t let her know she’s getting to you._ “I’m sorry for being late, but, I’m here now.” Jihyo slowly approached Nayeon, and, frowning, glanced around. “Where are the others?”

Nayeon pushed off from the wall, shrugging her shoulders. “We got sick of waiting so I told them to just go ahead and I’d hang back to wait to see if you’d show up.” Her grin widened, giving Jihyo a brief glimpse of… bunny teeth? If it was anyone but Nayeon, Jihyo may have found them cute, but she swiftly dismissed the thought. “I guess we’ll just have to wander this big, dark castle together, just the two of us.”

Jihyo gave the Slytherin a look. Of course, this was exactly her luck, having to spend the night paired with the one person in the whole school she had a problem with. Biting back a growling sigh, Jihyo nodded her head. “Fine. Best get going, then,” she said stiffly, waiting for Nayeon to lead the way.

“After you, princess,” Nayeon countered, gesturing with a taunting, overdramatic flourish. 

Jihyo scoffed to herself at the nickname-- she’d tell Nayeon to quit it if she thought the Slytherin would listen to her. She stalked past the girl, taking the lead as she headed down the corridor. She’d done a fair amount of nightly patrols in her years as prefect, and Jihyo hoped that this night would pass by quickly. At the very least, she hoped Nayeon would have the sense to keep to herself and not bug Jihyo the whole time.

The first half hour proceeded in relative silence. The only sound echoing in the halls were their own footsteps and Jihyo mumbling Charms spells she had to memorize under her breath (careful, of course, not to actually cast any of them). It was only once Jihyo had finished reciting the long list the fourth or fifth time around that she realized the only footsteps she heard in the corridor were her own.

Halting, Jihyo turned and she frowned when she saw Nayeon was no longer walking behind her. “Nayeon?” she called out, peering across the dimly lit hallway to try and make out the girl’s figure. “Seriously…” Jihyo hissed lowly. Did Nayeon really ditch her? Or was she just playing some foolish prank? Jihyo had half a mind to just continue on without the Slytherin, but in the end, her curiosity got the best of her.

Jihyo walked back down the hallway from where they came. She held out her wand and murmured, “ _Lumos!_ ”, the tip of it immediately glowing a bright white. “Im Nayeon!” she shouted out again, voice growing louder with irritation, “If you’re hiding somewhere, you might as well come out because you’re _not_ going to scare m--”

Before Jihyo could even finish her sentence, a hand reached out from the darkness behind her and seized her shoulder. A scream ripping its way out of her throat, Jihyo whipped around brandishing her wand. “IM NAYEON, I’M GOING TO KILL--” The shout died immediately in her throat when she was met not with the face of the Slytherin prefect, but instead the gaunt, pale face of the Head of the house. “P-Professor Snape,” Jihyo choked out, immediately lowering her lit wand away from the man. “I’m so sorry, Professor, I thought you were--”

“Miss Im, yes, I realize,” the man droned, glaring down at her. “As you can see, I am not. Must I remind you that students are meant to be _asleep_ at this hour? Your dreadfully shrill screams will awake the entire castle.” 

Fully aware that her cheeks must be bright red with embarrassment, Jihyo nodded her head and murmured, “Yes, I’m sorry, Professor. I will be more careful from now on.” 

Snape simply tutted and whisked his way down the hallway, turning a corner. As soon as he was out of sight and earshot, laughter echoed in the corridor, coming from behind a large tapestry hung on one of the walls. Out from behind it came Im Nayeon, a hand clapped over her mouth. “Oh, Merlin, that was amazing! I was just going to pop out and scare you, but that was so much better!” she cackled.

Jihyo scowled at the girl, bursting out, “If you could stop acting like a _child_ for once, we could continue with this patrol and just get it over with!”

Her laughter quieting down, Nayeon rolled her eyes and huffed. “Patrols are so _boring_. Why don’t you loosen up and have a little fun? Would that seriously kill you?” she demanded, arching a brow.

“Excuse me if I don’t find irresponsibility particularly ‘fun’ or amusing,” Jihyo shot back. “A prefect’s duty is--”

“Irresponsible, huh? Are you questioning whether I’m fit to be a prefect?” Nayeon interrupted. She edged closer to the boundary of Jihyo’s personal space, tilting her head with a smirk that was suddenly dripping with insinuation. “Because, I have to admit, I’m not really used to pretty girls critiquing my _performance_ of all things.” 

Her voice was low and teasing, and Jihyo almost choked on her own saliva trying to come up with some kind of adequate response to that statement. Despite her brain short-circuiting somewhat, the Gryffindor managed to force out a quick, “You’re insufferable!” She turned and speed-walked in the opposite direction, not caring this time whether or not the Slytherin followed her. Nayeon was seriously _flirting_ with her now, is that what she was doing? _Merlin help me._

Once again Nayeon just laughed, and Jihyo heard the girl’s footsteps close behind. It seemed Nayeon wasn’t willing to sink back into the somewhat comfortable silence from earlier, as after a few seconds her voice called out, “So, how’s your girlfriend doing? I hope her hand’s healed up alright.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes. “If you mean my _best friend_ , Jeongyeon, then it’s none of your business.” She glanced over her shoulder to toss a critical look at the Slytherin, “I doubt you actually care about her wellbeing, anyway.”

Nayeon shook her head with an expression full of faux sincerity. “No, really, I do care. I hope she’ll be all healed up and able to play in the next game.” After a few seconds of Jihyo not replying, Nayeon added, her voice taking on a more sneering tone, “I mean, I’m already debating on what to aim for next, her broom or her—“

In a matter of seconds, her temper no longer able to be contained, Jihyo turned around to confront Nayeon. “I would shut your mouth now, Im. Conspiracy to deliberately injure an opposing player is _very_ strictly against Hogwarts rules and regulations. Yes, I checked. If I relayed to Madam Hooch what you just told me, you could be kicked off the Slytherin team in a heartbeat.” Jihyo’s voice was icily calm, and she finished with a smile. “But, I’m feeling nice tonight, so I’ll let you apologize and this can stay between us.”

For once, that permanent smirk that was always fixed on Nayeon’s face was gone, replaced by a look that seemed a mixture of horror, shock, and… did the Slytherin look almost _impressed_?

“I was just joking, anyway,” Nayeon eventually said lowly, rolling her eyes and fiddling with her robe. “I wasn’t _actually_ going to try and hurt Yoo. I’m… sorry.” The last word was barely more than a mutter, and the pettier part of Jihyo wanted to make the Slytherin repeat it, especially since she couldn’t be positive that Nayeon actually meant what she said. But, again feeling merciful, Jihyo simply nodded in acceptance of her apology. 

Just then, one of the other Slytherin prefect patrols came around the corner. Jihyo’s eyes lit up at the perfect opportunity and she called out to them, “Hey, would you guys mind switching partners for the rest of the night?” The two Slytherins boys exchanged looks and just shrugged, so Jihyo picked one of them to go with her and instructed Nayeon to go with the other.

Nayeon was still looking particularly shell-shocked, so Jihyo gave her the biggest smile she could muster and wiggled her fingers as she walked away in a perfect imitation. “Seeya around, Im.”


	3. go off, sis

The next morning, when Jihyo told Jeongyeon the story of how she had basically told Nayeon off the night before, the Chaser almost choked on her toast laughing. 

“Park Jihyo, I knew I was best friends with you for a reason! You’re an absolute _legend_!” Jeongyeon wheezed out, making Jihyo roll her eyes but smile anyway.

She couldn’t help but be proud of herself, knowing that she had gotten the last word for once. Causing that infuriating smirk to disappear from Nayeon’s face _had_ felt pretty legendary in the moment, she had to admit. Jihyo had finally been able to get her ‘revenge’, and it was like all seemed right in the world. Now, she could wash her hands of the issue and, hopefully, never have to deal with one Im Nayeon ever again.

“Well, I’m just glad that I was able to get an actual apology out of her for once. It’s the least I could do,” Jihyo dismissed with a shrug of her shoulders.

Jeongyeon hummed, shoving another piece of toast into her mouth distractedly, “I mean, she already kinda apologized for the Bludger thing, but the apology you got was so much better. Merlin, I wish I was there to see Im’s face when you--”

The rest of Jeongyeon’s statement escaped Jihyo, as she chose to focus on the first part of it. “What do you mean, she already apologized?” Jihyo said slowly, brows furrowed in a deep frown. She didn’t recall Jeongyeon nor Nayeon ever mentioning there having been an apology...

Jeongyeon looked up from her food with a small frown of her own. “Wait, Im didn’t mention that to you?” When Jihyo shook her head, Jeongyeon continued, “I mean, it was a pretty rubbish apology, but I guess by her standards it was genuine. She said, and I quote,” Jeongyeon put on a pretentious and nasally voice that sounded unlike Nayeon entirely, “‘I’m sorry I caused you to break your hand by being such an amazing and unstoppable force of a Beater.’” Jeongyeon scoffed. “Even when she’s apologizing she’s full of herself.”

Jihyo leaned back in surprise. It may have been a very narcissistic way to phrase it, but from what Jihyo knew about the Slytherin, it seemed likely that it _was_ the closest Nayeon would get to a genuine apology. “When was this?” she demanded, wanting as much information about this apparent apology as possible.

Jeongyeon thought for a moment, “It was when I was still in the Hospital Wing. She just burst in and ignored Madam Pomfrey when she said visiting hours were over. So… maybe an hour after you came to visit?”

_Not that long after I confronted her outside the Slytherin locker room,_ Jihyo realized. She was now completely confused-- why would Nayeon say those horrible things just to go apologize to Jeongyeon a few hours later? Why would she _continue_ to say horrible things, trying to provoke Jihyo, instead of just saying that she had already apologized for her actions? It made absolutely no sense, no sense at all. Realizing there was only one way to obtain the truth, Jihyo turned her head to look across the Great Hall. 

“Where are you going?” Jeongyeon’s voice was quizzical as the Head Girl lifted herself from the bench.

“To get answers,” Jihyo replied, determined to get Nayeon to confess her true intentions.

Jihyo felt a sense of dejavu as she marched toward the Slytherin table, recalling the last time that she had tried to confront Nayeon. That altercation had ended with Nayeon having the upper hand, but after their little discussion last night, Jihyo felt the playing field was more even this time around. 

When Jihyo approached Nayeon, she was surprised to see the girl eating her breakfast and reading a book alone. It was a strange, foreign sight-- Jihyo was so used to seeing Nayeon surrounded by her Quidditch teammates, laughing and messing around, that seeing the girl looking so quiet and peaceful was almost out of place. Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, Jihyo moved to stand right in front of the girl.

Nayeon’s gaze flicked upward, and she seemed obviously surprised to see Jihyo standing there. Some emotion that Jihyo couldn’t quite discern flickered in the Beater’s eyes for a moment before her face smoothed into a lazy smile. “Can I help you with something?” she drawled when Jihyo didn’t say anything right away, shutting her book. 

Deciding not to pull any punches, Jihyo just asked exactly what was on her mind. “Why didn’t you ever mention that you apologized to Jeongyeon?”

Nayeon visibly stiffened at first, obviously caught off guard. She was quiet for a few beats, and Jihyo could almost see the gears working in her head, figuring out what to say. Eventually, Nayeon just shrugged her shoulders in a dismissive manner. Her voice light and her brows raised, she answered, “Slipped my mind?” 

Nayeon’s features were carefully schooled again, all evidence of surprise gone, and Jihyo felt her frustration building despite herself. The Gryffindor huffed, “That’s not the reason, and we both know it, so just tell me the truth. Why didn’t you just tell me that you apologized, so I didn’t have to…” Jihyo gestured, “ _threaten_ you last night?” She remembered Nayeon mumbling that she wouldn’t actually deliberately hurt Jeongyeon, and now Jihyo was inclined to believe that she had been telling the truth.

It seemed Nayeon had recovered from Jihyo’s sudden interrogation, as her signature grin made a reappearance. She pushed up from the bench, and Jihyo numbly wondered how she’d managed to find herself with Im Nayeon within her personal bubble twice in less than 24 hours. “You know, you’re really attractive when you’re angry, princess,” Nayeon mused, as if that was somehow the answer to all of Jihyo’s questions. ( _Maybe_ , something in the back of Jihyo’s mind said, _it is_.) 

The Slytherin leaned in slightly and Jihyo held her breath, only releasing it when she realized Nayeon was just retrieving her book on the table behind Jihyo. _What the bloody hell else would she be doing, Park?_ Jihyo scolded herself, trying not to look flustered. Flashing those stupid bunny teeth again, Nayeon teased, “I think saying ‘seeya around’ is our thing now, right? So… seeya around.” She winked and with that she walked away, hands tucked casually into her robe pockets.

Jihyo had confronted Nayeon looking for answers, but now she felt even more confused about the Slytherin girl.

\---

If Jihyo couldn’t get the Slytherin off of her mind before, she was finding it exceedingly difficult to do so now after their latest encounter. Nayeon was a riddle wrapped in an enigma, and it was frustrating the Head Girl to no end. She just couldn’t understand her, and she also couldn’t understand why she wanted to understand Nayeon in the first place. It was just a mess in her brain, like a tangle of thread to be carefully unwound.

Friday afternoon found Jihyo overseeing fifth year detention in the Detention Hall as she always did. Jihyo didn’t really mind it— the fifth years tended not to act up too much as they knew that the alternative to sitting in the room quietly for a few hours was polishing the school’s candelabras, of which there were numerous. She usually spent the time studying, and this night was no different, although she unsurprisingly had trouble focusing her mind on the Runes she was trying to translate.

Just as Jihyo’s mind returned going over her interactions with Nayeon as if they were puzzles to be solved, the door to the detention room swung open.

“Really, I don’t understand why this is necessary,” a voice complained, and Jihyo looked up in surprise to see who else but Nayeon dragging into the room a Slytherin girl by the collar of her robes. 

Nayeon’s eyes brightened when she saw Jihyo, and before Jihyo could ask her exactly what she was doing there, the prefect spoke. “This is fifth year detention, right?” Jihyo nodded slowly, and Nayeon gestured to the girl she was holding onto. “Well, this is Kim Yerim, she’s a fifth year, and she’s here for detention.”

Yerim groaned, “Are you kidding me! All I did was throw a dungbomb into Sooyoung’s room again, you always just laugh when that happens, why are you being so lame all of a--” Nayeon must have squeezed the back of the girl’s neck tighter, as the fifth year released a little yelp and fell silent with a moody look.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Nayeon said tightly, forcing the girl to sit at one of the desks. The prefect turned to offer a little grin, approaching the teacher’s desk in the front of the room where Jihyo was sitting. She examined the room with a look of exaggerated boredom. “This seems like a positively _thrilling_ gig.”

The Gryffindor just rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you had to oversee detention before?” Jihyo deadpanned, knowing well that it was one of the usual duties of a prefect.

Nayeon leaned against the desk, tapping her fingers, and shook her head. “Nope,” she replied, popping the ‘p’. “I always have someone else fill in for me when it’s my turn.” She tossed Jihyo a demure look, fluttering her eyelashes and saying in a saccharine sweet voice, “‘I’m so busy, won’t you _please_ do it for me this once? I’ll make it up to you, I promise!’” 

Jihyo scoffed, looking back down at her Runes homework. “I’m pretty sure that’s a clear abuse of power,” she muttered, picking up her quill again.

Nayeon grinned and snatched the quill from Jihyo’s hand, twirling it playfully as Jihyo glared up at her. “What, are you gonna turn me in?” she taunted, leaning in closer, “Report me to Dumbledore?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and Jihyo just narrowed her own.

“Maybe I should,” the Gryffindor countered, holding Nayeon’s gaze. Neither of them wavered, staring at each other defiantly for what seemed like hours before they were interrupted by that fifth year, Yerim, loudly clearing her throat.

Nayeon tossed the girl a dirty look before her gaze returned to Jihyo again, less intense this time. She leaned back away from the desk and crossed her arms. “Well, I’m sure Yoo has told you that Gryffindor and Slytherin are having an unofficial game tonight at practice.” Jihyo recalled Jeongyeon mentioning it at breakfast that morning, and internally braced herself for another barbed remark mocking her best friend. Instead, Nayeon surprised her by commenting, “Well, you should come watch.” At Jihyo’s raised eyebrow, the Slytherin hummed suggestively, eyes dragging down from Jihyo’s face then back up again, “I bet you’d look _really_ good in green, cheering me on.”

At this, Jihyo couldn’t hold back an incredulous (albeit slightly nervous) laugh. “And what makes you think I’d cheer for _you_ of all people, instead of my best friend?”

Nayeon just smirked in that way of hers, choosing not to answer. “I’ll see you tonight, if you don’t die of boredom before then,” she chuckled. Jihyo had almost forgotten where they were, to be honest, and she felt her cheeks begin to color pink as she realized that the whole room of fifth years had been listening in on their conversation.

As soon as the door shut behind the Beater, Yerim piped up from her seat in the front, “Wow, she _really_ has a massive crush on you, huh?” A few of the other fifth years in the room released muffled giggles.

Jihyo’s eyes snapped to the Slytherin girl, momentarily at a loss of words due to the abruptness of the statement. “She just likes to taunt me,” she eventually explained, rolling her eyes. _There’s a clear difference._

Yerim scoffed, leaning back in her chair to prop her feet up on the desk. _Are all Slytherins so flamboyantly pretentious?_ Jihyo wondered, irritated. “Yeah, don’t you think there’s a reason for that?” the younger girl pointed out. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, Im’s an asshole.” She said it so plainly that Jihyo, for a moment, almost felt offended on Nayeon’s behalf before she remembered that she knew firsthand what Yerim said was the truth. 

Yerim continued, “But it’s pretty obvious to anyone with eyes that she’s being extra asshole-y to _you_ because she has a huge, gross crush, and wants to get your attention or whatever. Like, she’s pretty much the only prefect who has never given me detention, much less personally walked me here, so obviously she was just using it as an excuse to see you. Same with that Quidditch thing she was talking about.” Jihyo just stared blankly at the girl as her brain began to process this new information. Obviously Yerim thought she was thick, as she began to say slowly, emphasizing each syllable, “Nayeon wants to jump your bo--”

“Okay!” Jihyo interrupted suddenly, her face feeling even hotter. _Why_ did she have to have this conversation in a room full of 15- and 16-year-olds? Sighing and accepting the fact that they would never take her seriously ever again, Jihyo finished, “Even if that’s true-- which it definitely isn’t-- it doesn’t matter, because I would never be interested in someone like _her_ anyway.” She frowned deeply, hating how it sounded like she was trying to convince herself of the fact.

Yerim seemed similarly unconvinced. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say,” she snickered. “You two were practically undressing each other with your eyes a hot second ago, it made me seriously uncomfortable. But go off, sis.” She lifted her hands in a shrug. 

Jihyo made a face, confused both by what Yerim thought she had apparently witnessed and the weirdly informal way she spoke. “Whatever,” the Head Girl mumbled, not knowing what else to say, “Just… this is detention, just sit there in silence and think about what you did, okay?” Yerim laughed but thankfully didn’t say anything else. Jihyo picked up the quill Nayeon had dropped back on her desk and forced herself to return to her homework, trying (and failing) not to fixate on what Yerim had said. 

It had to be untrue… right?


	4. denial isn't just a river in egypt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the super late update-- I'm basically working full time now so I barely have energy to write during the week x.x Anyway, this fic was originally gonna be 4 chapters but I decided to make it 5. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

If Jihyo found herself heading to the Quidditch pitch later that night, it had absolutely nothing to do with Im Nayeon. She was going to cheer on her best friend, that was the _only_ reason-- why would she want to see that annoying Slytherin girl again, anyway? One interaction in a single day was more than enough to cause a headache, after all, and Jihyo was no masochist. 

And if Jihyo found her eyes following the Slytherin Beater more than they followed Jeongyeon during the game, well, that was only because Nayeon insisted on being so _terribly distracting_. It was obvious she’d spotted Jihyo sitting in the crowd, as every time she hit the Bludger (thankfully not directly at Jeongyeon this time) her eyes immediately flicked over in Jihyo’s direction as if to see if she was watching. Jihyo guessed that the girl thought she was being subtle, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. _What a show-off,_ Jihyo scoffed to herself, albeit not with the same amount of venom that may have been used before. 

Regardless, it seemed as if Nayeon was on her best game that night, as was the Slytherin team as a whole. Unlike the last match Jihyo had attended, it appeared like the two teams were more evenly matched for once. Jeongyeon played skillfully as she always did, but even from far away Jihyo could tell that her best friend was being pushed to her limits by the Slytherins. 

After an hour and a half, the allotted practice time was used up, and the game was ultimately declared a tie. As Jihyo left the stands with the other people who had come to watch, it was like her feet developed a mind of their own. Suddenly she was walking in the direction of the Slytherin locker rooms, not because she _wanted_ to of course, just… well, just because.

Jihyo was stopped in her tracks by a familiar voice calling out her name from behind. The Head Girl turned around slowly to face her best friend, hiding her nerves with a bright smile.

“What are you doing here?” Jeongyeon asked, clearly surprised to see Jihyo at the match.

“I can’t come support my best friend?” Jihyo released an uneasy laugh, trying to not look as awkward and out of place as she felt.

Jeongyeon’s eyebrows raised at that, and she crossed her arms critically. “Do you know how long I had to _beg_ you to come to the game last week?” she pointed out. “Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly developed an interest in Quidditch.” Jihyo knew that her cover was blown when the Chaser suddenly looked over Jihyo’s shoulder, clearly realizing the direction in which her friend had been heading. 

“I know what’s going on, why you’re really here…” Jeongyeon said slowly, and Jihyo’s stomach flipped. _How can you know why I’m here when I hardly do myself?_ “You’re here to chew Im out again, aren’t you?” A huge smile appeared on Jeongyeon’s face, and she leaned forward to clap Jihyo on the shoulder. “I don’t know what she did to deserve it this time, but I appreciate your loyalty, Ji. Knock ‘er dead!”

Jihyo watched her best friend walk away, not knowing how to feel. Jeongyeon had sounded so confident that that was the reason why Jihyo was here, heading toward the Slytherin locker room, but Jihyo… she wasn’t so sure herself. Last time she was here, she’d been bubbling with anger, harsh words forming in her throat.

But now, today, Jihyo wasn’t feeling particularly angry. She didn’t have a harsh speech planned in her mind. In fact, she hadn’t even considered what she’d say when she found Nayeon. _What am I even doing here?_ Jihyo was half ready to turn on her heel and leave when she saw the Slytherin approaching the entrance of the locker room, leading her teammates.

Nayeon was laughing— not in the cruel way she sometimes did, but just _laughing_ , free and happy. When she spotted Jihyo, her eyes lit up and her grin got even wider, not smug or taunting but like she was genuinely excited to see her, those cute bunny teeth on full display. That smile felt like a realization, like the pieces of the puzzle were suddenly falling into place to reveal the bigger picture.

The Slytherin broke off from her team and approached Jihyo. Her Quidditch robes were streaked with mud and she was kind of sweaty, still a little breathless from the game with her braid loose, so why did Jihyo feel like she could hardly breathe herself looking at her? _What is happening to me?_ Jihyo mentally bemoaned, wondering for a moment if she’d been possessed by Peeves or some other mischievous poltergeist intent on ruining her life.

“You came,” Nayeon said rather unnecessarily, and _Merlin_ , why was her smile so blinding? Bright as the sun, but Jihyo couldn’t look away. The Slytherin glanced over her shoulder at the locker room before turning back to face Jihyo again. Her head tilted slightly, she asked, “Wait for me?”

Jihyo hated how she didn’t think twice before nodding. She hated how she didn’t know why she agreed to wait for someone she didn’t even _like_ — and she hated how, fifteen minutes of just standing there later when Nayeon poked her head out the door and gestured for Jihyo to come in, she followed her inside. 

Nayeon had changed out of her dirty Quidditch robes into more casual ones, and she must have taken a shower as her long, dark hair was wet and combed messily to one side like she was in a rush. Jihyo didn’t know what to say, not with the Slytherin now looking at her like that. Finally she settled on commenting, “You played really well tonight.”

“I play well every night,” Nayeon teased. Jihyo expected the girl to start bragging like the last time they were here, that she was ‘the best Hogwarts had ever seen’ and whatnot. But once again, the Slytherin surprised her by instead continuing in a conversational way, “I do think you’re my lucky charm, though.”

Nayeon edged closer and closer, and Jihyo laughed, nerves fluttering in her stomach for some reason. “You did play well, but you still didn’t win. So how good of a lucky charm can I be?” she pointed out. Why was she playing along with this? Why was she kind of flattered that Nayeon thought she was her lucky charm?

Nayeon smiled as if she’d been expecting Jihyo to say that. The Beater turned and grabbed something from her bag, and when she walked back up to Jihyo again, the Gryffindor saw it was a emerald scarf, emblazoned with the Slytherin crest. “Well,” Nayeon said slowly, “Maybe we would have won if you’d been wearing this.” 

Jihyo didn’t move a muscle, frozen, as Nayeon placed the scarf over her shoulders and gently wound it around her neck. “I was right,” Nayeon murmured, her voice possessing a soft quality Jihyo had never heard from her before. The Slytherin nodded to herself and her eyes flicked back up to Jihyo’s. “You _do_ look really good in green.”

Jihyo’s throat felt dry as they held each other’s gazes. Earlier that day when their eyes had met at detention, she’d felt the tension between them, but now it was almost electric. Nayeon’s fingers were still loosely wound around the ends of the scarf, and her face was _so close_ , so close that Jihyo could feel her breath on her cheek, and Jihyo didn’t know what was happening but suddenly her eyes were shut and it was like she could almost taste Nayeon’s lips on her own—

The locker room door crashed against the wall, a bunch of Slytherin boys chattering obnoxiously loud as they entered. Jihyo’s eyes snapped open as if violently pulled from a trance. In a matter of seconds she jumped away from Nayeon, tearing the scarf from her neck.

“You can keep it, you know, I have another—“ Nayeon began to insist, and Jihyo would’ve noticed the desperation in the girl’s voice if she hadn’t been so busy trying to shove the item back into the Slytherin’s hands. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t, I can’t do—” Jihyo stumbled over her words, face bright red, “Just take your scarf, okay, I—“ She shook her head furiously, fingers lifting to press against her hot cheeks. She made the mistake of glancing up at Nayeon, and she felt her heart drop when she saw how upset the Slytherin looked. “I’m sorry,” Jihyo repeated one last time, softer this time, before turning and leaving the locker room as fast as physically possible.

\---

Jihyo spent the remainder of the weekend in what could be described as mild agony. Although she tried her hardest to put Im Nayeon out of her mind, as usual, it didn’t seem to work very well. Especially not after whatever _that_ had been in the locker room. Jihyo spent hour after hour that weekend cooped up in the Gryffindor common room, sitting by the fire and dissecting every miniscule detail of that encounter. Still she found no answers, instead thinking about it only made her brain ache.

Nayeon possessed a certain charming quality, sure, and Jihyo was long past denying that the girl was attractive. But it was all surface level, wasn’t it? An act? Jihyo was horrified that she had almost let herself fall for such tricks. It _had_ to be a trick, some kind of cruel game the Slytherin was playing to see if she could make the uptight Head Girl give in to her advances. Nayeon had proved before that she had somewhat of a mean streak, so it wasn’t that big of a leap to make. After all, the only reason the two of them had ever interacted in the first place was after Nayeon injured Jeongyeon during their game.

Jihyo thought, too, about Jeongyeon’s retelling of Nayeon’s apology. About how Nayeon insisted she wouldn’t intentionally hurt Jeongyeon. About that damn _smile_ and how gently she’d placed her scarf around Jihyo’s neck, her eyes so gentle in that moment. How upset she had looked when Jihyo left. How real it all seemed. But then Jihyo reminded herself bitterly that it was just a game, that for all she knew, Nayeon was just trying to get to Jeongyeon through her. She’d probably just been disappointed that her scheme had fallen through. It wasn’t low self esteem that made Jihyo doubt Nayeon’s genuine interest in her, but rather a simple lack of trust in the Slytherin’s intentions.

Indecision churned in Jihyo’s mind and in her gut. She may have been almost certain that Nayeon was just fooling around, but what if Yerim was right? What if Nayeon really _did_ have feelings for her? Jihyo told the fifth year that she would never be interested in someone like Nayeon, but now after what had happened Friday night, she thought it was possible she may have spoken too soon. She had felt something in that locker room, though she wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.

Jihyo couldn’t exactly talk to Jeongyeon about all of this. Jihyo loved her best friend, but she already knew how the Chaser would react. She could practically hear Jeongyeon’s voice— _”Are you serious, Ji?! She’s obviously just messing with you, you can’t trust her for a second.”_ And maybe (most likely) Jeong would be right, but she was also incredibly biased with her undeniable dislike for the Slytherin. 

What Jihyo needed was an unbiased opinion, from someone with a clear head and a logical mind. Lucky for her, she knew exactly where to find said person.

\---

The Gryffindor found Seungwan fairly easily among the stacks in the library that Sunday evening, sat at a table with four other girls. Jihyo couldn’t help but roll her eyes when she recognized one of them as Kim Yerim-- of _course_ she was here, though it was beyond Jihyo how her and Seungwan managed to end up becoming friends.

When Yerim looked up from her parchment and noticed who was standing there, her face immediately lit up with a grin. She elbowed the tall Slytherin next to her, “Look, Sooyoung, it’s Im’s future girlfriend I was telling you about!”

All of the eyes at the table turned to Jihyo, and she internally released a sigh. This was already not turning out how she had planned it, though then again, she should learn to expect these things at this point.

The other Ravenclaw at the table leaned forward to smack Yerim’s arm, scolding, “Yah, Kim Yerim, what did I tell you about minding your own business?” The young Slytherin rubbed her arm with a whine, but her gaze still retained that mischievous glint.

Luckily, before she could make another snarky comment, Seungwan leapt up from her chair and tilted her head toward an empty table in the corner. Jihyo nodded wordlessly, walking toward it as Seungwan informed her friends she would be back shortly.

Jihyo settled into the chair with a huff, causing Seungwan to raise her eyebrows. “I’m guessing that you’re here to talk and not study for NEWTs,” the Ravenclaw teased. Jihyo knew it must have been obvious, from both her behavior and the lack of studying material with her. The Head Girl flashed a somewhat apologetic smile as confirmation, and Seungwan’s eyes crinkled in sympathy. “What can I help you with?”

At that cue, Jihyo spent the next five minutes telling the Ravenclaw everything, from the beginning— Jeongyeon’s injury and her and Nayeon’s first meeting, the night patrol, detention, the locker room. Nayeon’s behavior, all of Jihyo’s doubts. The Gryffindor felt kind of strange unloading all of this on her friend, but at the same time it was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Regardless of what Seungwan’s advice would be, Jihyo felt better just being able to tell someone about what had been happening. Simply keeping it all to herself had been driving her slowly insane.

The Ravenclaw hummed, looking thoughtful as she tapped her chin. “You know, I’m gonna be honest with you,” she began. Jihyo braced herself for what she thought would be coming next. “I think you already know what you should do.”

Jihyo released the breath she had been holding in a slightly irritated huff. That wasn’t the advice she’d been looking for when she came here, so she couldn’t help but be a little annoyed. “I really don’t, that’s why I came to talk to you,” she pointed out, frustration bleeding into her voice.

Seungwan gave her another small smile. “Listen, I could give you the logical answer, right? I could tell you to listen to what your head tells you, that Nayeon is no good and that it’s safer for you to stay away from her and just move on from this. But!” Seungwan lifted up a finger, “For matters like this, I think it’s important to listen to your heart. Obviously only you know how you truly feel, but it sounds to me like weeks from now you’re going to be kicking yourself if you just ignore this.”

Jihyo leaned her elbows on the table, rubbing her forehead with one hand. “No offense, Wannie,” she sighed, “But that advice was terribly unhelpful.”

The Ravenclaw shrugged her shoulders, “That’s the best I can give you, Ji. Like I said, only you know what you want.” Suddenly wearing a dramatic expression, Seungwan clutched a fist to her chest and exclaimed, “Listen to your heart! Follow your dreams! Live your best life!”

Jihyo laughed at the Ravenclaw’s theatrics despite herself. “Thanks for the inspiration,” she teased, and Seungwan bowed with a little flourish.

“Anytime,” she assured her, her wide eyes earnest. Her gaze fixed itself somewhere above Jihyo’s shoulder and she frowned, getting up. “Now if you excuse me, I have to go stop Sooyoung from drawing on Seulgi’s face with enchanted Sharpie again.” She shot Jihyo a smile, “Sorry if I didn’t really help, but I know whatever you choose, it’ll be fine. I’ll see you later.”

The Ravenclaw walked away, leaving Jihyo by herself to think at the table. Maybe Jihyo still wasn’t positive what she was going to do, but she supposed it had been unrealistic of her to expect a sudden epiphany. Just speaking to her friend made her a little less stressed about the whole Nayeon ordeal, her head now a little clearer. Seungwan had said to listen to her heart— the problem now was to figure out what exactly her heart was trying to tell her.


	5. alexa play burnin' up by the jonas brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, huh? Sorry for the wait everyone, but I hope this extra long (final!!) chapter makes up for it! I hope everyone will be satisfied with the ending :) Thank you to everyone who commented, subscribed, read, etc. to this little story of mind, I really appreciate it <3
> 
> I have a few ideas for spin offs/companion pieces to this fic (aka in the same Hogwarts universe) so keep your eyes out for that, though no promises when I'll find the time/motivation to write those. Be excited!

The rest of Jihyo’s evening and the following day was spent in a similar fashion to the majority of her weekend— basically, an emotional rollercoaster of trying to figure out what exactly her game plan would be here. Over and over she went over Seungwan’s advice in her mind, trying to make use of it.

Listen to your heart, she’d said? Jihyo wanted to roll her eyes every time she repeated it in her head. Wasn’t that such cliche advice? It seemed like a get out of jail free card to Jihyo, something must easier said than done. Then again, she supposed it was the best advice one could be given in such a situation. Maybe it was good to be reminded every now and again to listen to your heart, even if doing so may result in a broken one.

So what was that truth, then, the truth that was apparently lying dormant in her heart, just waiting to be uncovered? That was what Jihyo was struggling with. Everything seemed so confusing and jumbled— she’d never felt this way about anyone before, so it was even harder to put a name to it. 

The only truth that Jihyo was certain of was that she was starting to miss Nayeon. Her smile, her teasings, even her just being infuriatingly smug and annoying. That scene in the locker room Friday night kept replaying over and over in her head— it was all she could think about, which was a bit frustrating to say the least. That compulsion that made her attend the match and follow Nayeon into the room was the same one Jihyo was feeling again, except this time much stronger. The Gryffindor couldn’t pinpoint one exact moment where she’d developed this— longing, almost, but now the lack of Nayeon’s almost constant (and frequently irritating) presence felt wrong. 

All Jihyo wanted was to see Nayeon and talk to her, but she also knew she wasn’t ready just yet. When the weekly prefect meeting inevitably rolled around, Jihyo forced herself to not look at Nayeon, not even once, no matter how much it pained her. When the meeting was finished, she fled from the room as quickly as she could, leaving no time for Nayeon to pull her aside. Jihyo wanted to sort out her feelings first, sort out what she was going to say to Nayeon, so this didn’t end in one great disaster. 

\---

Apparently, one Im Nayeon had other plans.

Jihyo had managed to successfully evade the Slytherin for half a week, though she should have anticipated the girl’s stubbornness and refusal to be ignored. Nayeon confronted her in the prefects’ bathroom that Wednesday as Jihyo freshened up after her final class of the day before her free periods.

“Any reason you’ve been ignoring me, Park?” Nayeon’s voice rang out, echoing against the high arched ceiling and stained glass windows. 

Jihyo released a sigh, her back to the Slytherin as she washed her hands. “This isn’t really a great time, Nayeon,” she replied over her shoulder. That wasn’t a lie— Jihyo wasn’t ready yet, she hadn’t figured out what exactly she was going to say. Though part of her felt glad to hear Nayeon’s voice, to be close to her again, Jihyo also almost wished Nayeon had stayed away for a little longer.

“Seriously? That’s your excuse?” the Slytherin scoffed, stepping closer to Jihyo. While her tone before had been deliberately casual, now Jihyo could hear the irritation leaking into her voice. “What, are we just never going to talk about the fact that _you_ almost kissed _me_?” A few beats passed with Jihyo saying nothing, and Nayeon’s voice took on a kind of desperate snideness as she continued, “Damn, Park, if you want to kiss me just do it. I know I’m good at it, trust me, I can provide plenty of references if you need them.”

Finally Jihyo finished drying her hands and turned around to face Nayeon, rolling her eyes. “ _Please_ be quiet.”

“Want me to be quiet? Then make m—”

Jihyo already anticipated Nayeon’s response, it being the most textbook snarky slash flirtatious line on the planet. In that split second before the girl could finish her sentence, Jihyo came to the decision that this was a time for action, not words. _Follow my heart, right?_ Throwing caution to the wind, Jihyo took a sudden step forward and slid her hand around the back of Nayeon’s neck, drawing her in for a kiss. Jihyo couldn’t help but smile against Nayeon’s lips as the girl released a surprised squeak. 

When Jihyo pulled back moments later, the Slytherin was flushed bright red, obviously caught off guard despite her goading. Gone was the obnoxious Quidditch star bravado she’d been flaunting ever since that first encounter at the locker room, replaced by something akin to shyness that made Jihyo like the girl even more. 

Before the Gryffindor could comment on her rosy complexion, however, Nayeon was chasing Jihyo’s lips again. Her normally low voice sounded somehow huskier as she mumbled, “Stop staring and kiss me again.”

Jihyo almost laughed, but then Nayeon was kissing her so intensely, pressing her back against the sink, and all thoughts left her mind. “Up,” Nayeon puffed against her mouth, the command taking a few seconds to properly sink in. With minimal assistance, the Head Girl pushed herself up onto the edge of the sink without her lips ever parting from Nayeon’s. She grabbed at the Slytherin’s emerald tie, tugging her closer until the girl was standing between Jihyo’s knees. Nayeon’s hands burned where they rested gently on Jihyo’s thighs, in fact, Jihyo felt like her whole body was burning from the inside out.

Both girls were entirely too involved in what they were doing to hear the bathroom door creak open and two Ravenclaws walk in. In fact, the intruders’ presence went entirely unnoticed until a wolf-whistle pierced the room, a few giggles following it. Jihyo (very reluctantly) pulled away from Nayeon, but didn’t let the other girl get too far, the Slytherin’s tie still bunched in her fist.

As the haze lifted from Jihyo’s mind, she was able to swiftly identify who had walked in on them. Instead of appearing scandalized, Seungwan and the other Ravenclaw prefect with her— Heeyeon— looked positively giddy. Seungwan was the perfect imitation of a proud mother, hands clasped below her chin and her eyes shining. Meanwhile, Heeyeon wore a huge smirk as she slowly began to clap, nodding her head in respect. “Park Jihyo, _get it girl_!”

The Gryffindor knew she should feel embarrassed for being caught like this— sure, they were just kissing, but it still felt a bit indecent, and she was Head Girl for Merlin’s sake. She had an example to set. But Nayeon was _right there_ , her body and touch so warm and inviting, and all Jihyo could feel in that moment was impatience, wanting the two girls to leave already.

“Could you maybe find a different bathroom?” Nayeon pointed out sharply, the girls were still standing there after a few seconds of silence. It seemed she was impatient as well, her long fingers squeezing Jihyo’s thigh just above her knee. 

“Oh, right,” Seungwan chuckled, grabbing onto Heeyeon’s elbow as she backed them out of the bathroom. “I told you it’d work out, Ji! I love you! Have fun! Practice safe se—” Thankfully, the door slammed shut before she could finish that sentence.

Nayeon and Jihyo’s eyes met again, and they both laughed at the somewhat awkward experience. The moment passed, however, and soon they were both leaning forward, lips meeting in the middle. While their kiss before had been a bit frenzied in their eagerness, now it was slower and unrushed, the kind of kiss that made Jihyo melt. All she wanted to do was let everything fade away into the background like she had before, but while there was a time for action, there was a time for words as well. She knew they had to talk eventually, and now seemed like the best time. Jihyo at least wanted to clear the air between them before anything else happened.

The Gryffindor pressed a hand gently against Nayeon’s shoulder, and the Beater whined cutely but pulled away. “What is it?” she murmured, one hand lifting from Jihyo’s thigh to tuck hair behind her ear, brushing her cheek in the process. Jihyo instinctively leaned into Nayeon’s touch, biting her lip as she tried to think of a way to phrase what she wanted to say without offending the other girl.

“I just want… I just want to make sure we’re on the same page here,” Jihyo began hesitantly. At Nayeon’s confused expression, she released a sigh. “I want to make sure that you’re kissing me right now because you care about me, and not because you want to get into my head or mess with Jeongyeon through me or something.” 

Nayeon’s mouth pressed into a line, and Jihyo was desperately worried for a quick moment that the Slytherin was furious at her for thinking such a thing. Even worse, maybe Jihyo’s deepest fears were true— maybe Nayeon would pull away, sneering about how it was all just a trick that Jihyo had completely fallen for, that she didn’t _actually_ feel anything for her. But then Jihyo looked into the girl’s eyes and she saw her answer, clear as day. Nayeon’s gaze held nothing but sincerity and her touch was the gentlest Jihyo had ever felt as her thumb stroked Jihyo’s cheek.

“I’m sorry I was such an asshole to you,” the Slytherin murmured. “I just wanted your attention, and I thought that was the most surefire way to get it.” She paused to give Jihyo a long kiss, this one conveying everything she felt for the other girl. If Jihyo had any doubts remaining in her head going into this encounter, they had now vanished so completely it was almost as if they had never existed in the first place. Nayeon pressed into Jihyo’s neck, lips brushing at the girl’s throat and her voice barely above a whisper as she confessed, “I like you so much. Please let me be your girlfriend.”

Jihyo would have to be insane to say no to such an (adorable, honestly) request. On the contrary, she was absolutely endeared. Even with Nayeon’s lips at her neck, Jihyo could tell the girl wasn’t just saying things to get close to her, she actually meant what she was saying. “Who knew tough Beater Im Nayeon was actually such a huge softie,” she teased, laughing as Nayeon lifted her head to make a face.

“Yeah right,” the Slytherin grumbled, rolling her eyes though Jihyo could tell the girl was trying to hide a smile. “Very funny, princess.” For once, the nickname sounded more fond than condescending to Jihyo. Despite Nayeon’s whole “cool and unaffected” act, Jihyo could read behind the lines to discover what Nayeon meant but would never admit out loud: “ _I might be soft, but only for you._ ” 

After a few moments of peaceful silence, Jihyo felt the need to apologize herself. “I’m sorry, too, for ignoring you these last couple of days. I wanted to try and figure out what I felt for you because I was really confused, but I should have just told you I needed time.” Offering the Slytherin a smile, Jihyo finished, “Now, I’m positive about what I want.” 

Nayeon tilted her head with a gentle look, leaning in for another sweet, brief kiss. When Jihyo pulled back, Nayeon’s brows were arched. “So, just to make sure we’re on the same page—“ Nayeon began, borrowing Jihyo’s phrasing.

“—yes, you can be my girlfriend,” Jihyo finished, knowing where the Slytherin was going with her sentence. She played with the baby hairs at the back of Nayeon’s neck, grinning as the girl’s whole face lit up. _She’s so cute, this isn’t fair!_ Nonetheless, Jihyo wasn’t able to motivate herself to be annoyed at the fact that she was already wrapped around Nayeon’s little finger. At least she felt better knowing the same was true with Nayeon for her, too.

“Does that mean you’ll wear my scarf at Quidditch games?” Nayeon asked cheekily, pulling at the collar of Jihyo’s robes.

Jihyo threw her head back and laughed. “Maybe,” she hummed, leaning in for another kiss, “If you ask nicely.”

\---

A week and a half later, at the next Slytherin versus Gryffindor practice match, Jeongyeon almost had a conniption when she saw the green scarf wound carefully atop Jihyo’s shoulders (carefully, because Jihyo had realized in the past week that Nayeon had a certain _thing_ for her neck). 

The Chaser had first released a dramatic gasp, glaring and pointing at the offending article of clothing with absolute horror and disgust. Then she seized Jihyo by the shoulders and, making intense eye contact, she said slowly, “Jihyo. If you’ve been possessed or body snatched or something, blink twice to let me know that you’re still in there somewhere.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes with a laugh, shrugging out of Jeongyeon’s grip. “You’ve been watching too many Muggle horror movies lately,” she chuckled.

Jeongyeon looked at Jihyo like she had two heads. “Well, that’s the only logical explanation!” she exclaimed, gesturing wildly, “Why else would you be wearing a _Slytherin_ scarf at a Gryffindor versus Slytherin match? Merlin’s beard, why’d you be wearing a Slytherin scarf at all, out in public where people can see you no less?!”

The Head Girl tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth. This was the part she’d been somewhat dreading— the past week and a half, she’d been trying to figure out the best way to break it to her best friend that she dating someone who Jeongyeon staunchly viewed as her mortal enemy. Jihyo knew Jeongyeon wasn’t stupid— she was sure the girl had noticed Jihyo spending less time hanging around the Gryffindor common room, but she’d never asked about it. For that Jihyo had been grateful, not wanting to lie but not knowing how to tell the full truth yet, either.

It wasn’t like Jihyo thought Jeongyeon would never forgive her or never talk to her ever again or anything silly like that. Jeong wasn’t _that_ petty. But Jeongyeon was Jihyo’s best friend, and it would mean the world to Jihyo if she got her approval on who she was dating. Besides, she didn’t know if she could handle her best friend and her girlfriend absolutely hating each other and at each other’s throats constantly.

On Nayeon’s part, the Slytherin had reluctantly admitted that she didn’t _really_ hate Jeongyeon, she just messed with her because it was fun and the rivalry between them was kind of expected due to the larger House one. She’d assured Jihyo that she’d play nice from now on, and also offered up some colorful, choice words of what Jeongyeon could do if she didn’t approve of their relationship. 

Eventually Jihyo had decided that the Slytherin versus Gryffindor match would be the perfect opportunity to break the news to Jeongyeon. Now, however, Jihyo was beginning to regret her very forward approach. Deciding to just bite the bullet, Jihyo replied calmly, “It’s my girlfriend’s.”

Jeongyeon’s jaw unhinged, and Jihyo was concerned the poor girl had gone into shock before she spluttered in a comically high-pitched voice, “Girlfriend?! Who?!” Then, in a more serious tone, she continued, “Please tell me it’s not—“

“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you,” advised a voice from behind Jihyo.

_Merlin help me,_ Jihyo prayed before turning to face her girlfriend with a big smile. Nayeon was in her Quidditch robes, a lot cleaner and more put together than the last time Jihyo had seen her here. Even with Jeongyeon gaping at the couple, Nayeon only had eyes for her, and Jihyo wanted nothing more than to lean in for a kiss that felt like instinct even after just a week. However, luckily, she possessed more tact than that— she wasn’t ready to give Jeongyeon a heart attack just yet.

When Jihyo looked at her best friend again, the Chaser seemed a little pale. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she deadpanned. “Her?!” Jeongyeon pointed a finger at Nayeon incredulously. “You were just complaining a little over a week ago about how annoying she was! Now I’m _seriously_ thinking you got body snatched, or cursed or something.”

Nayeon faux gasped as if completely offended, and Jihyo tried to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. “Well, she _can_ be pretty annoying,” she agreed, ignoring Nayeon’s pout in the corner of her eye. “But she’s also really sweet and genuine, and I know she cares for me a lot, Jeong.” Jihyo’s gaze softened. “Listen, I know this is a lot to take in, and I know you hate her but—“

“I don’t hate her,” Jeongyeon interrupted in a grumble, crossing her arms over her chest. After a few seconds, she released a groaning sigh. “Listen, I totally don’t get this thing you guys have at all. I mean, of all the girls you could date, Ji, you just had to date _her_. My sworn rival. The girl who broke my fingers while trying to assassinate me via Bludger. Basically the most irritating person on the planet.”

“Hey, is there a ‘but’ coming somewhere in here?” Nayeon complained, one of her hands curling around Jihyo’s waist to rest on her hip.

“If you could let me finish!” Nayeon moodily fell silent, and Jeongyeon continued, “Yes, she might be all of those things— _but_ — as long as she’s good to you… That’s all that really matters to me, that you’re being treated well and you’re happy.” Jeongyeon smiled that lopsided grin of hers, the one that told Jihyo time and time again that things would be alright, and all of a sudden the Head Girl felt like she was about to cry.

“Thanks, Jeong,” she said wetly, stepping forward to wrap her taller friend in a tight hug. The older Gryffindor allowed her a few seconds before making a face and wrestling free, smoothing out the wrinkles in her robe.

“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. Jeongyeon’s gaze settled on Nayeon again, and this time that trademark Yoo competitive look entered her eyes. “Well, now that you’re dating Ji I guess we can try to be friendly, but don’t think I’m gonna take it easy on you out on the Quidditch pitch, Im.”

Nayeon smirk was wide and taunting. “Wait, you mean you haven’t been taking it easy on me this whole time, you’re genuinely that lousy of a player?” Jihyo would’ve reminded Nayeon of her promise to play nice, but the Slytherin’s words lacked their usual bite, and Jihyo knew that it was just banter. She had a feeling that that would be a part of their dynamic no matter how much time would pass.

“Oh please, Im, you know the only reason why you won that game is because—“ 

Even as the two bickered, Jihyo felt her heart warm. How lucky was she to have these two dorks in her life? She must have done something wonderful in a past life to deserve this.

A few minutes later, it was almost time for the game to start, and both Nayeon and Jeongyeon had to get to their respective locker rooms. Nayeon leaned in for a brief kiss (the couple ignoring Jeongyeon’s gagging sounds in the background) and murmured to Jihyo, “I’m glad my lucky charm is here. Make sure to cheer me on, princess.” She readjusted what was more or less now Jihyo’s scarf, a little playful smirk on her lips and a glint in her eyes, and Jihyo thought that maybe— just maybe— she was starting to fall a little bit in love.

_I guess Quidditch isn’t so bad after all._


End file.
